Rice farmers will protest in large number again, destination not revealed

BANGKOK, 23 February 2014 – Another mass rally by the farmer protesters at the Ministry of Commerce has been set on 25 February 2014 to demand answers from the government about long-overdue rice payments.

Coordinator of the Farmers’ Network Natthawat Chanin-ngam said the farmer protesters would rally en masse again this Tuesday to press the government on payments in the rice pledging scheme after the government promised that it would spend four billion baht/week to pay them. Mr Natthawut however declined to disclose where the protesters would travel to, saying that they would meet on Monday to plan their movements.

Civil servants who worked at the Ministry of Commerce were allowed to enter their office on Monday but they were prohibited from bringing a personal car to the ministry, said the coordinator.

The protesters have surrounded the Ministry of Commerce in Nonthaburi province since 19 February this year to protest against the government who owes them payments worth 130 billion baht in total.